Tennis Update: Sally Peers secures last wildcard at Brisbane International
With only days left in the season opener at Brisbane, the last wild card for the women’s singles main draw was decided today. The Brisbane International is a combined ATP and WTA event held in the first week of January.
With Jelena Dokic and Sophie Ferguson getting wildcards into the tournament earlier this month, the last wildcard was given to their compatriot Sally Peers today.
Peers will join compatriots Samantha Stosur, Jarmila Groth, Anastasia Rodionova along with fellow wildcard entrants, Dokic and Ferguson in the main draw at Brisbane next week.
Talking about getting in the event, Peers said, “I am really excited to get a wildcard into the Brisbane International. I just got into Brisbane this morning, so it is great news to arrive to. I have played qualifying before but
this wildcard gives me a great opportunity to play some high ranked WTA players and hopefully, if I get the chance, to play on Pat Rafter Arena. It looks amazing. Whoever I draw I will just go out and play my best tennis.”
Starting 2010, ranked 348th in the world, Peers rose about two hundred places at the end of the season. Peers had a memorable 2010 season. She not only rose in career rankings but also made it to her first ever Grand
Slam coupled with her first WTA Tour win.
In August, she qualified for the 2010 United States Open main draw. This was her first participation at any Grand Slam event. She drew against the then world number fifty-four, Aleksandra Wozniak. Despite the difference in their
rankings, Peers enjoyed a landslide victory against Wozniak defeating her 6-0, 6-1. This was her first ever WTA Tour win. Peers then went ahead to meet eventual champion Kim Clijsters. Peers exited the event following her defeat to Clijsters in straight sets.
Excited about getting Peers at Brisbane, tournament director Steve Ayles said, “Sally is coming off the back of a bronze medal in singles and a gold medal in doubles, with Anastasia Rodionova, at the Delhi Commonwealth Games. She
has recorded a career-high ranking of No.153 in November this year and she has really developed her game with three ITF finals appearances in 2010 in Mildura, Ipswich, Bundaberg and winning her way through qualifying into the US Open where she met last year’s
Brisbane International champion and the No.3 seed Kim Clijsters in the first round. Sally joins five other Australians in the women’s main draw which demonstrates the depth of women’s tennis in Australia at the moment. It also gives Australian tennis fans
a lot to cheer about in January when all these girls take to court in front of a home crowd."
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